Common Mistakes In Ramadan By Sheikh Ahmad Musa Jibril(Kalamullah)

Bismillah Wasalatu wasalam A’la
Rasulillah. Ama Ba’ad
Common Mistakes During
Ramadan:
1) Focusing on food; to the extent
that people begin to worry about
eating more then actually fasting.
This also goes along with
spending tons of money on Iftars
even though a person does not
need to eat that much food.
2) Making Suhr way before Fajr.
Some people eat Suhr a few
hours after Tarawih or Isha Salah,
this is wrong. It should be eaten
closer to the time of Fajr.
3) People don’t make Niyyah
[intentions] to fast for Ramadhan.
This is something in the heart and
does not need to be verbal. Also it
only needs to be done once, at
the beginning of Ramadhan and
not every single day.
4) If you find out late that
Ramadhan started, you should
stop eating and fast for that day,
making that day up after
Ramadhan/Eid ends.
5) Many people don’t think you
pray Tarawih on the first night of
Ramadhan. They believe you
pray it after the first day you
actually fast. They forget that the
Islamic calendar runs on the
moon, maghrib is the start of the
new day.
6) Many people believe if you eat
or drink on accident this breaks
your fast. This is false, if you do
this on accident then you
continue fasting and do not need
to make up the day.
7) Some people take the opinion
that if they see someone eating or
drinking they should not remind
the person that he/she is fasting.
According to Shaykh Bin Baz [ra],
this is incorrect and it is an order
from Allah for us to ordain the
good and forbid the evil. Thus we
tell the person, because we are
forbidding the evil this way.
8) Many sisters believe they
cannot use Hennah while fasting.
This is incorrect, they are allowed
to use it during Ramadhan.
9) Some people believe when
you are cooking you cannot taste
the food to see if it has the right
spices/flavors. This is false, and
allowed in Islam as long as the
person cooking is not eating the
food. Rather they can taste it to
see if it needs salt, or more
spices.
10) Many people think you cannot
use a Miswak or toothbrush
during Ramadhan. This is false,
for the Prophet [saw] used to use
a miswak during Ramadhan. Also
you CAN use toothpaste; the
reasoning by the scholars is that
the Miswak has flavor, thus
toothpaste is okay to use [if you
are not eating it].
11) Some people make the Fajr
Adhan early. They do this so
people will stop eating before Fajr
and not invalidate their fast. This
is wrong and something we
should not do.
12) Some people make the
Maghrib Adhan late. They do this
so people will start eating late,
just incase Maghrib has not come
in yet. This too is wrong and we
should not do this.
13) Many many people believe
you cannot have intercourse with
your spouse during the whole
month of Ramadhan. This is
false, you cannot do this only
during the times when you are
fasting. Between Maghrib and
Fajr it is permissible to do.
14) Many women believe that if
their period has just ended and
they did not make Ghusl, they
cannot fast that day [considering
their period ended at night, and
they went to bed without Ghusl,
waking up without having a
chance to make it]. This is
incorrect, if a women has not
made Ghusl she can still fast.
15) Many men believe that if he
has had intercourse with his wife
and did not make Ghusl [similar to
the above] then he cannot fast the
next morning. This is also
incorrect, for he can fast even if
he has not made Ghusl.
16) Some people pray Dhur and
Asr prayers together during
Ramadhan. (mainly in Arab
countries) This is incorrect and
should be avoided.
17) Some people believe you
cannot eat until the Muadhthin is
done calling the Maghrib Adthan.
This is incorrect, as soon as he
starts a person can break their
fast.
18) Many people don’t take
advantage of making D’ua before
they break their fast. This is one
of the three times when Allah
accepts a person D’ua.
19) Many people make the
mistake of spending the later part
of Ramadhan preparing for ‘Id,
neglecting Ramadhan. This is
incorrect and these people lose
the concept of what Ramadhan is
about.
20) Many parents do not let their
children fast during Ramadhan
[young children]. This is
something counter productive to a
child. By allowing him to fast he
will grow up to know he must do
this act.
21) Many people think Ramadhan
is just about not eating and forget
about controlling their tempers
and watching what they say. In
actuality we are supposed to
control our tempers and mouths
even more during Ramadhan.
22) People often waste their time
during Ramadhan. They go to
sleep during the day and get
nothing done. We should be
taking advantage of this blessed
month by doing extra Ibadat.
23) Some people don’t go on trips
or travel during Ramadhan. They
think they have to break their fast
when traveling. This is actually
optional, if you want to break your
fast while traveling you can [with
making it up later], and if you
don’t you can continue fasting.
24) Many people who are able
don’t make I’tikaf at the masjid.
We should take advantage of our
good health and spend lots of
time at the Masjid, especially the
last 10 days of Ramadhan.
25) Some people believe they
cannot cut their hair or nails
during Ramadhan. This is also
false.
26) Some people say you cannot
swallow your spit during
Ramadhan. This too is false.
However you cannot swallow
mucus that has entered your
mouth.
27) Some people say you cannot
use scented oils or perfumes
during Ramadhan. This too is
false.
28) Some people believe
bleeding breaks the fast. This is
not true.
29) Some people believe if you
throw up on accident it breaks
your fast. This is not true,
however if you do it intentionally it
does.
30) Some people think you
cannot put water in your nose and
mouth during wudhu in
Ramadhan. This too is incorrect.